Currently, BJP holds 10 seats in Vidhan Sabha in Bikaner division.
Jaipur:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bikaner in Rajasthan today, on his fifth visit to the state which was slated for elections this year. The prime minister will consecrate and lay the foundation stone for several development projects, totaling more than Rs 24,300 crore, according to a statement.
At the heart of the visit is the inaugural event of much of the Bharat Mala project, a new green highway linking Amritsar in Punjab to Jamnagar in Gujarat. The 1,316 km long six-lane highway, built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, runs through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The opening has major political implications as the place, Bikaner, is considered the heart of Rajasthan. The new highway will affect five districts – Hanumangrah, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer and Jalore – all of which it will cross on its way to Jamnagar. The presence of the Chief Minister is also expected to influence the upcoming elections for the 35 Vidhan Sabha seats around Bikaner.
The BJP currently holds 10 Vidhan Sabha seats in the Bikaner division, while the Congress has 11, with three for other parties. The visit is expected to boost the BJP’s prospects in these areas in the upcoming elections.
Among the major development projects, the Chief Minister will inaugurate the redevelopment of Bikaner Railway Station, which is costing Rs 450 crore. It will also devote itself to the first phase of the interstate transmission line of the Green Energy Corridor.
PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a 100-bed hospital, which will add to the healthcare infrastructure in the region. All these initiatives will take place at Naurangdesar, where Prime Minister Modi will address a public meeting at around 5 pm.
The prime minister is scheduled to land at NAL Air Base at 4 pm and then fly by helicopter to Naurangdesar. After the opening ceremony and public meeting, he is expected to return to Delhi after 6:30 pm.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Bikaner is part of a wider tour of four states, including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan, from July 7 to 8. Except for Uttar Pradesh, all of these states will see elections later this year.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Rajasthan Assembly Opposition Leader Rajendra Rathore and Deputy Opposition Leader Satish Punia inspected the gathering venue on Friday. Mijwal expressed confidence that a large number of people from Bikaner and surrounding areas would attend the rally.
